Signed, Gabriel Betteredge.
The Sergeant's next proceeding was to question me about any large dogs in the house who might have got into the room, and done the mischief with a whisk of their tails.

Hearing that this was impossible, he next sent for a magnifying-glass, and tried how the smear looked, seen that way.

No skin-mark (as of a human hand) printed off on the paint.

All the signs visible--signs which told that the paint had been smeared by some loose article of somebody's dress touching it in going by.

That somebody (putting together Penelope's evidence and Mr.Franklin's evidence) must have been in the room, and done the mischief, between midnight and three o'clock on the Thursday morning.
Having brought his investigation to this point, Sergeant Cuff discovered that such a person as Superintendent Seegrave was still left in the room, upon which he summed up the proceedings for his brother-officer's benefit, as follows: "This trifle of yours, Mr.Superintendent," says the Sergeant, pointing to the place on the door, "has grown a little in importance since you noticed it last.